Apparatus for shaping plastics by extrusion



Jan. 22, 1946 v J. BAILEY :1- AL APPARATUS FOR SHAPING PLASTICS BY EXTRUSION Original Filed April 23, 1941 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jan. 22, 1946. Y J BAlLEY ETAL 2,393,452

APPARATUS FOR SHAPING PLASTICS BY EXTRUSION Original Filed April 23, 1941 5 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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Jan. 22, 1946. BAlLEY ETAL .APPARATUS FOR SHAPING PLASTICS IBY EX T'RUS ION 1941; s She ets-Sheet s Original Filed April 25 Patented Jan. 22, 1946 APPARATUS FOR SHAPING PLASTICS BY EXTRUSION James Bailey, West Hartford, and Raymond B. Jesionowski, Hartford, Conn assignorr to Flax Corporation, Hartford, Coma, a corporation of Delaware.

Original application April 23, 1941, Serial No. 389,912. Divided and this application May 4, 1944, Serlal No. 534,026

Clalms.

This invention relates to the art of shaping organic plastic materials by extrusion thereof through a die to form elongated or continuous shapes. Organic plastic materials are referred to herein in the plural plastics" and in the singular as plastic."

This application is a divisional of my copending application, Serial No. 389,912, filed April 23, 1941, now Patent No. 2,365,375 dated December 19, 1944, and is related to the copending application of James Bailey, Serial No. 389,911, filed April 23, 1941, in which application is disclosed, but not claimed, the invention which is disclosed and claimed herein.

The copending application referred tov describes a method and apparatus wherein and whereby a film of liquid medium or lubricant is maintained between the plastic material and the wall or surface of the die through which the plastic material is passed. The advantage of providing such a liquid or lubricant and maintaining it, during the extruding operation are that friction, sticking, and other factors tending to prevent or restrict the passage of the plastic material through the die are eliminated or counteracted, so that such passage of the material is greatly facilitated. This tends to eliminate strains in the extruded shapes and also permits the use of relatively long dies which are highly advantageous because they permit a prolonged temperature treatment while at the same time a high rate of production of the extruded shapes may be obtained.

The object of the present invention is not only to obtain advantages resulting from providing a liquid medium or lubricant in extrusion apparatus but also to provide a novel method and novel apparatus for facilitating the starting operation, for insuring .the stability or continuity of operation after starting, and also to eliminate jams in the event that the plastic material, through inadvertence or some failure in operating conditions, causes the plastic material to stick in the apparatus in a manner which is not automatically corrected.

Other advantages and objects of the invention will be more fully set forth in the following description which has reference to the accompanying drawings depicting the novel apparatus and method and in which drawings:

Figures 1a and 1b are more or less diagrammatic views, partly in section and partly in elevation, showing when Fig. 1a is placed at the left of Fig. 1b, extrusion apparatus Of improved type embodying the invention, the full length of a die being shown to scale;

Fig. 2 is a partial view in horizontal section on enlarged scale of a screw stufler, nozzle, die, lu-

bricant connections and other parts of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1a; and

Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation showing somewhat more fully the apparatus shown in Fig. 2.

The invention is of particular utility in shaping by extrusion organic solvent-free thermoplastic molding material, such as polymethyl methacrylate and will be described as applied to the production of round rods of substantial thick- .ness from such material, beginning with the material in cold, solid, granular condition, referred operation may advantageously be performed in a heated screw stufier connected to the die through which the heat-softened plastic is forced under pressure continuously applied to the plastic material to force it through, and impart to it the shape of, the die,

. automobiles.

A suitable lubricant is selected for use in lubricating the die through which the selected plastic is to be forced and various types of lubricants may be employed. An example of the type of lubricant which I prefer to use in extruding polymethyl methacrylate is hypoid gear oil, or oil of the type used in differential gear boxes of This is a mineral oil. The oil or other lubricant should be stable and should not body up or break down at the highest temperature of the plastic when in contact with the lubricant. Such oil may have a viscosity of 1100 to 3000 seconds at 375 F. in order to insure that the lubricant will retain good lubricating properties under high temperature and pressure. This oil gives a better finish on the extruded shape than most other lubricants. The lubricant employed, whether it be oil or other lubricating material, should be immiscible with and inert toward the plastic under the conditions prevailing in the die, although a slight superficial absorption of the lubricant by the plastic material is permissible in some cases. If objectionable, the superficial layer on the extruded shape which may contain lubricant may be removed by a polishing operation. The above type of lubricant gives good results in extending both polymethyl methacrylate and polystyrene shapes and also other plastics, such as cellulose acetate. Other examples of lubricants are glycerine mixed with metallic soap, and mixtures of glycerine and dextrine. If the lubricant is too viscous, it ma be heated to facilitate its flow into the die.

In order to achieve good results, a continuous film of lubricant is maintained on the die, that is, a film which is not broken through at any point between the plastic and the die surface. This usually requires that the film be maintained at all possible points of contact between the plastic and the die. If this is not done the plastic will touch the die surface and stick thereto causing an increase in resistance to the flow of plastic through the die followed by an increase of pressure on the plastic by the stuffer, which is apt to spread the area of sticking until the plastic is jammed in the die. A very slight penetration or puncture of the film may start jamming under the usual conditions of operation.

To insure that the continuous film will be maintained, it is necessary that the lubricant be supplied under very high pressure. However, this immediately leads to difficulty because unless the pressure is correct with respect to the pressure in the plastic, either the plastic will displace the lubricant and sticking will result or the lubricant will displace the plastic and deform it and might even cut off the plastic where the plastic enters the die. There is always a danger of the plastic closing ofl the inlet or inlets through which the lubricant flows into the die and conversely there is a danger of the lubricant flowing backwardly through the plastic into the stufier. When that happens the batch of plastic in the apparatus is spoiled and must be discarded.

To provide the necessary control for maintaining a film of lubricant as stated above, the lubricant is conducted from a source of high pressure and admitted to the die in a quantity sufiicient to partially fill the die after which plastic is delivered into the die and forced therethrough. The lubricant should be supplied under constant pressure. As the plastic passes through the die, a flow of lubricant is maintained into and through the die, the lubricant being caused to enter the die around a nozzle from which the plastic material issues into the die, the plastic also being surrounded by the lubricant where it issues from the nozzle. In fact, in starting the operation with the die empty, the plastic should be surrounded throughout its length by a substantial quantity of lubricant, a surplus of which is maintained in the die until a thread or string of plastic material is formed and issues therefrom. But this surplus must not be excessive because that might cut the plastic. When a proper flow of the plastic material has been established, the fiow of lubricant may gradually be reduced, lubricant in the die being displaced by the plastic and forced out of the discharge end of the die until finally only a thin film of lubricant remains between the plastic and the die surface. This film may be about .0005 of an inch thick. The lubricant at the nozzle or jet is forced back by the plastic material until only a small body or bubble remains which surrounds the nozzle and the plastic issuing therefrom, this body of lubricant being sufilcient, however, in normal operation and under the proper conditions of pressure and flow to prevent the plastic material from flowing backwardly around the outer surface of the nozzle and into the inlets for the lubricant.

The lubricant must be supplied under a pressure which is always greater than the normal op. erating pressure on the plastic material and must also be supplied under a pressure which is greater than the maximum pressure which may be exerted upon the plastic material'in the die at any time. In the apparatus illustrated, a pressure of 6,000 to 7,000 pounds per square inch is maintained. At the same time, however, a flow of lubricant into and through the die during normal operation must be maintained .but at a critically low rate related to the unit surface area of the plastic shape extruded per unit of time.

If this critical rate of flow is not maintained sticking may result, or the plastic may be deformed by displacement thereof by an excessive amount of lubricant in the die. To maintain this critically low rate of flow, it is necessary to provide special, accurate, throttling or regulating means to insure that the lubricant will flow into and through the die at a constant rate of only a few drops per minute.

Under the preferred conditions of operation. the pressure of the lubricant in the die will be responsive to and'equal to the pressure on the plastic within the die. In other words, the lubricant in the die and the plastic will normally be in pressure equilibrium or hydrostatic balance. This condition is highly desirable and in fact necessary for stable operation in order to maintain a continuous film during prolonged operation; furthermore, certain special conditions must be maintained to insure that this pressure equilibrium if disturbed will instantly be restored. This is explained below with reference to Figs. 2 and 3.

The advantage of maintaining the lubricant in the die in pressure equilibrium or hydrostatic balance with the plastic and in a condition responsive to the pressure on and in the plastic material in the die is that if the film is punctured and local sticking starts at a point on the die surface, the resulting increase of pressure on the plastic, resulting from increased resistance to flow, will instantly build up the pressure in the lubricant in the die, thus tendin to restore the film of lubricant at the point or in the area where it has been punctured. This is an advantage in addition to the advantage of substantially reducing friction, preventing sticking and counterbalancing the radial components of pressure exerted through the plastic against the wall of the die.

Even though the above precautions are taken to prevent sticking of the plastic to the die and to relieve incipient sticking and the resulting jams which might otherwis occur, occasionally the plastic sticks in a manner which is not automatically corrected, as explained above, and a jam results. In this event, the plastic may be dislodged by promptly cutting off the flow of plastic into the die, cutting OK the flow of lubricant into the die, and permitting the plastic in the die to cool and shrink. If a bad hang-up" is to be avoided, plastic and lubricant must both be cut oil when sticking occurs to remove pressure from the plastic in the die. This prevents spread of the sticking area. After the plastic has been permitted to shrink without pressure thereon, the lubricant is then suddenly admitted at extremely high pressure of the order stated above so as to deliver a fluid pressure blow to the plastic in the die and thus dislodge it and break the jam. If the jam is not broken on the first attempt, the plastic material is allowed to cool further and lubricant is again admited suddenly under high pressure to break the jam.

Because of the fact that the plastic shape slides through the die in or on a film of lubricant in pressure equilibrium with the plastic, stressing and resulting strains are greatly reduced. In prior methods, when the hot plastic flows into the die, it stifi'ens and adheres to the die surface and succeeding plastic must be forced through this stiffened plastic throughout the entire length of the die in order to fill the die and compensate shrinkage. This results in shearing stresses and resulting strains. Furthermore, in prior methods the plastic swells somewhat where it leaves the die and tends to become spherical. n the other hand, in the present method, as the plastic flows into the die and stifl'ens, it slides bodily through the die instead of adhering to the surface of the die. Shearing stresses are largely avoided because there is very little flow of the hot incoming plastic through the outer chilled plastic alreadyin the die; this occurs only in a relatively short zone near the entrance to the die where the plastic is rela tively hot and stresses are at a minimum. Beyond this zone, shrinkage is compensated by longitudinally squeezing the shape by back pressure thereon.

Furthermore in the present invention, there is no appreciable swelling where the plastic issues from the die as in prior methods. Therefore, the extruded shape corresponds to the shape and dimensions of the die within close tolerances, allowing for such shrinkage as results from cooling of the shape after extrusion.

Sufiiclent back pressure may be maintained in carrying out my novel method to insure that gas bubbles and vacuum bubbles are prevented,

assuming that a proper temperature treatment is applied to the plastic. Back pressure should be 150 pounds or more per square inch. Gas bubbles may be caused by volatiles, such as air, solvents, or gases given 011' by the plastic resin or compound itself. To prevent gas'bubbles, the plastic must be held under a pressure greater than the maximum vapor pressure and the temperature of the plastic reduced below a certain temperature critical for the particular plastic and held below this temperature for a certain length of time.

To prevent vacuum bubbles, a substantial temperature difference between the exterior and interior of the plastic shape must be avoided. Otherwise the exterior will harden under compres sion, thereby setting up tension on the interior which ruptures the plastic, thus forming vacuum bubbles. a long temperature gradient, that is, gradual temperature reduction-and the thicker the shape the longer the gradient for the same plastic. Therefore, to prevent both gas and vacuum bubbles, the plastic must be held under pressure and cooled for sufficient time and to do this in the die and produce relatively thick shapes at practicable speeds, a long die must be used. The longer the die, the greater the speed at which the shape may be extruded.

Although the invention permits the use of a die of almost unlimited length, a'substantial part of the temperature treatment may conveniently be performed after the shapehas left the die. In shaping thermoplastics, it is preferred to extrude the shape with sufficient heat content Prevention of vacuum bubbles requiresto reheat the surface of the shape in the atmosphere. This usually results in a lustrous surface on the shape. The shape may then be permitted to cool by exposure to room or plant atmosphere with or without forced cooling, such as provided by one or more water sprays. Such cooling also must be gradual in order to prevent vacuum bubbles. It is preferred to hold the shape straight as it is cooled .or hardened and to support it at spaced points as it travels to prevent deforming or flattening it. The shape may be cut into desired lengths.

Referring now to Figs. 1a and 11), there is shown a heat-jacketed stufler 40 of the screw type into which molding compound is introduced in solid condition and is heated and worked until it is softened to the desired working condition. From the stuifer 40 the plastic flows through a homogenizer and filter 4|, thence through a plastic valve 42 and into and through a nozzle 43 surrounded by lubricant admitted through passage 44 from a source and through connections which will later be described. The lubricant thus supplied surrounds the plastic where it issues from the nozzle and flows through the die 45 in the form of a very thin film on the surface of the die and surrounding the plastic material which is shaped into a rod 46 during its passage through the die.

The die illustrated in Figs. 1a and 1b is approximately ten feet three inches long, this length being used advantageously for producing the rod 46 which, as shown, is intended to be in thickness. The end of the die carries a stuffing box 41 which may be tightened more or less to apply the desired back pressure to the rod. during extrusion thereof and which serves as a very efiicient means to remove the lubricant from the surface of the rod just before it issues from the die. A small opening is drilled in the die or in the gland nut of the stufling box to permit drainage of lubricant which may be caught in a pan, as shown at 48. This prevents deformation of the rod 48 which otherwise might result from accumulation of a surplus amount of lubricant v within the die, especially near its discharge end.

The lubricant is supplied to passage 44 under a constant high pressure of about 6,000 pounds per square inch by an accumulator 5|, which is charged at intervals with lubricant :by a pump 52 which draws lubricant from a suitable receptacle, not shown, and discharges it through a conduit 53 into the accumulator. The accumulator supplies the lubricant under constant pressure and prevents deformation of the plastic shape which might otherwise result from the pulsating effect of the pump acting on the plastic through the lubricant leading into the die and surrounding the plastic.

The piston 54 of the accumulator is raised against the weight 55 until the accumulator is filled. From the accumulator the lubricant flows under constant pressure of weight 55 through pipe 56 past a main valve 51 through filter 58 and throttle 59, thence through a short pipe section 6| into the-passage 44. The line 56 is provided with a drain 62 and is connected to a bypass line 56a controled by a by-pass valve 53, line 56a joining the short connection BI and serving to by-pass lubricant around the filter 58 and throttle 59. The details of these parts are describedbelow with reference to Figs. 2 and. 3.

It will be understood that during normal operation, the lubricant flows under high pressure through the line 56, filter 58, throttle 59 and connection 6| into passage 44 at a constant minute rate of fiow of a few drops per minute, determined by the adjustment of the throttle 59. However, in starting the operation, the by-pass is used to conduct the lubricant into the die either above or in conjunction with the main line 56. The shy-pass also is used for breaking jams.

In starting the operation with this apparatus, the plastic valve 42. is closed, as also is main valve and by-pass valve 63. The stuffer is heated and plastic fed into it if necessary to charge it after the stuffer has been started. The stuifer is allowed to run until well filled with plastic and until pressure builds up sufliciently to bring the plastic in good working condition up to the plastic valve ready to flow into the die 45when valve 42 is opened.

Before plastic is admitted to the die, the die must be cleared, that is, freed of plastic or the plastic therein completely surrounded by lubricant and freely movable under pressure.

- A shot of lubricant may now be admitted into the die as by closing drain valve 62 and opening main valve 51 and by-pass valve 63. The entire volume of the accumulator may be so admitted. Valve 42 being closed, no lubricant may flow into the filter or stufier.

Valve 42 is now opened slightly to permit plastic to enter the die 45 and may -be opened more and more as the flow of lubricant is reduced by gradually closing by-pass valve 63, which is so manipulated as .to permit the plastic to form a continuous string and then fill the die, as explained above. The plastic is admitted gradually at first to prevent it from surging through the die.

As the plastic approaches its full shape, the control of the flow of lubricant may be taken over :by line 56 and throttle 59, the by-pass valve 63 finally being closed. Care must be taken in to the plastic. This blow is repeated after furthc: cooling if necessary.

Because of the relatively great length of the die 45 compared to its diameter, it is conveniently formed in sections instead of in one piece, the die illustrated being formed in three sections, 45a, 45b and 450, the adjoining ends of which are threadedand joined by unions 64 and 65. Each section of the die is provided with a jacket, as shown at 66, 66a. and 55b, connected at the joints in the die by conduits 66c and 66d. These jackets receive temperature controlling medium to control the temperature of the plastic within the die. Water may conveniently be used for this purpose and in the production of thermoplastic shapes of substantial thickness it is usually necessary to heat the water in order to prevent cooling the plastic shape too quickly, which might result in vacuum bubbles in the extruded shape. In the apparatus as illustrated in Figs. Ia and i b, water is drawn from a receptacle 51 through e 68 by a rotary pump indicated at 69, the line 58 passing through a heater H and thence into jacket 66 at the end thereof where the plastic material enters the die through the nozzle 43. The heated water then flows through the jackets 65, 66a and 55b, and finally is disreducing the flow of lubricant and increasing the flow of plastic to prevent the plastic from displacing the lubricant around the nozle 43. To guard against this, the lubricant should be maintained in a body or bubble of substantial thickness around the plastic for a short distance beyond the end of the nozzle as shown in Fig. 2 and should be brought to this condition very gradually by proper manipulation of the valves 42 and 63 and by the throttle 59, if it has not previously been set in adjusted position for normal operation.

In the production of certain shapes, such as rod 1 inch thick, the plastic valve 42 is not opened very widely and thus serves to provide back pressure in the filter and the stuffer, thus insuring good density and elimination of air pockets in the plastic. This also protects the filter against collapse. In producing smaller shapes, valve 42 is opened fully, the nozzle or jet providing the desired back pressure.

In case of a jam, plastic valve 42 is closed, the stutter is shut off, main valve 51 is closed and drain 62 is opened. This takes the pressure 62: of the plastic in the die, permitting it to shrink out of contact with it where it stuck in causing the jam. Drain 62 is provided to drain out any leakage which might fiow past main valve 51 and accidentally exert pressure on the rod in the die. When the plastic has cooled and shrunk somewhat, the jam is broken by first closing valve 62 and opening valve 51 and then suddenly opening by-pass valve 63 to apply a fluid pressure shock charged from the end of the jacket 66b near the discharge end of the die into a return pipe 12 which leads into the receptacle 61.

As the water circulates through the jackets of the die it picks up a certain amountv of heat from the plastic material and this heat must be dissipated in order to prevent the temperature of the water from rising above the desired temperature. This is accomplished by means of a water cooling coil indicated at 13 in the receptacle.

It will be understood that suitable temperature controlling means (not shown) may be associated with the water circulating system for the die to maintain the desired temperature and temperature gradient in the die to properly cool the plastic material which is forced therethrough in accordance with the method of the invention.

To prevent deformation of the plastic shape or rod after it has issued from the die, it preferably is supported by rollers having minimum contact with the shape or rod. The contact of the rod at any one point on its surface with any of the rollers is line contact and only momentary, and, therefore deformation is prevented, such as would occur for example if the'rod were permitted to rest on a conveyor belt.

Thus there is shown near the discharge end of the die a roller 14, and at a substantial distance beyond the roller 14 a flight of rollers 15, 15a, 15b, etc. is provided, the rollers being fairly close together and extending along the length of the apparatus well toward its end.

The rollers 14, i5 and 15a may be made of wood or other material of insulating character which will not unduly chill the plastic material. The rollers shown are provided with semi-circular grooves to fit approximately the round shape of the rod 46, although it will be obvious that the rollers may have diil'erent forms, depending upon the shapes of the extruded products.

In order to hold the rod straight as it cools, a puller (not shown) may be provided at the end of the flight of rollers which flight is only partially shown. The puller is disclosed in the copending application of James Bailey, Serial No. 389,911, filed April 23, 1941, and the purpose of the puller is to maintain a tension on the rod and hold it straight as it cools.- The speed of the puller may be varied in accordance with variations in the rate at which the rod is extruded, by means including ruller 18 on lever 19 of the puller speed control switch 8|. This switch is connected by the three wires 82 to a speed controller (not shown) for the puller, as is shown in Fig. lb.

The switch 8| is operated according to the horizontal position of a stretch of the rod between rollers 14 and 15 so that when the sag in the rod increases the speed of the puller is increased and when the rod approaches horizontal position the speed of the puller is decreased. In this way a substantially constant pull is maintained on the rod, although with some types of rod, or with some types of materials, or with certain sizes of rod, the puller may be operated at the maximum rate of extrusion and so adjusted that it can slip if the extrusion rate falls below the maximum rate.

In Fig. 1-1), the rod may start to reheat as soo as it issues from the die and continues to reheat for some distance, say up to the first roller 15 or thereabouts. After a certain amount of reheating has been effected, cooling of the rod begins, the exact point where this occurs varying with the type of material being shaped and depending upon the established conditions of operation.

Certain types of shapes and shapes of certain materials may conveniently be cooled by one or more water sprays (not shown), so located as to direct streams downwardly over the rod in order to cool it uniformly over its entire circumference as it passes beneath the respective sprays.

In some cases the water sprays are not used and the extruded shape is cooled simply by exposing it to room or plant atmosphere.

A cut-ofl device (not shown) may be provided for cutting the extruded shape into suitable lengths.

The stufl'er and associated parts and the connections for applying lubricant to the die are shown in detail in Figs. 2 and 3. The stufier 40 comprises a heating jacket 40a for hot oil or water and contains a screw 40-11, a drive for which is enclosed in a housing 40-0, Fig, 3.

Plastic material flows from the stuffer 40 through nipple 40d, having a conical inlet and reduced outlet and held in the head of the stuffer by a threaded bushing and screws, as shown in Fig. 2. The nipple 40-d is screw-threaded into the block 4l-a for the filter 4| which is held in Place between the head 40b at one end of the block 4la and the casing 42-a of the plastic valve secured to the other end of the block. The filter 4| comprises a metal perforated cylinder wrapped with wire mesh cloth preferably of extreme fineness, such as 700 wires per linear inch, in order to remove all foreign matter, even matter as fine as lint, and to form a "smooth colloid by making the plastic material uniform in viscosity. The plastic material i heated to relatively high temperature and reduced to relatively low viscosity in the stuffer to permit it to flow through such extremely fine screen. The block and filter are heated by conduction of heat from the stuffer.

As shown in Fig. 2, the plastic valve 42 i of the rotary plug type and has a handle 42b for turning it. The valve may be securely held in adjusted position by means of a screw 42--c passing through a slot in segment 42 -d in the valve plug.

the screw being threaded into a stud 42-e secured to the valve block 42a.

The plastic valve discharges into nozzle 43 projecting into die 45. Nozzle 43 is of small cross section and has a thin wall and is formed on a thick, flanged body as shown engaged by a retaining ring 43-a fitted onto valve block 42-a and fitted into a member 43b threaded onto die 45. Member 43--b contains passage 44 for lubricant which fiOWs into the bushing at the rear end of the nozzle into an annula space "-11 between the interior of member 43-b and the nozzle 43. From the rear of this annular space, the lubricant flows over the entire outer surface of nozzle 43 and over the entire surface of die 45.

The plastic receiving parts between thestufl'er and the die are subjected to very high pressure and are apt to break and plastic is apt to escape through the joints. To avoid breakage, these parts are made with very heavy walls and leakage of the fluent plastic is prevented by drawing the parts together with heavy strain bolts 4l--c and 4l--d which extend through ears in head 4l-b, valve blocks 42a and 43-b. By removing the bolts, the parts may readily be removed for cleaning, repair or replacement.

Passage 44 in bushing 43-h receives lubricant from the short pipe 6| coupled to nipple 44-a, welded to member 43-b as shown in Fig. 2. Pipe 6|, nipple 44a and the block 59-a of throttle 59 have very thick walls and small bores to prevent "spring in the lubricant connections between the throttle and the die and to keep the Volume of lubricant as small as possible between these points. This insures that a small incompressible amount of lubricant will be trapped, so to speak, between the throttle 59 and the plasti in the die and in an unyielding enclosure in the event of sudden increase in pressure in the plastic material in the die resulting from local sticking or other causes. Consequently the pressure of the lubricant will be instantaneously responsive to changes in plastic pressure, insuring continued hydrostatic balance between them. Not only does this tend to prevent or relieve sticking, it also -prevents a flow of the plastic around the nozzle 43 i and rearwardly of its tip which might cut off the flow of lubricant and cause sticking or jamming.

Throttle 59 comprises a needle 59b having a sliding fit in its bore which is moved inwardly and outwardly by turning the hollow handle 53--c in which it is secured at its outer end. The handle 59-0 is screw-threaded on the block 59a of the throttle. When the needle 59b is-moved into the block, the resistance to flow of lubricant between it and the bore is increased and when moved outwardly, the resistance to flow is decreased. This provides for the minute, critical flow of lubricant required which could not consistently be obtained by the usual type of needle valve because of abrasion of the seat of such a valve by the needle engaging it or because of wire drawing of such a valve or for other reasons.

Example I Polymethyl methacrylate molding powder is formed into rod in diameter by heating it in a stuffer and passing it through a filter held at approximately 415 F. and then discharging the material through a nozzle and into a die 10 feet 3 inches long through which lubricant is caused to flow in the form of a film on the die surface at the rate ,of 20 drops per minute under pressure of approximately 6000 pounds per square inch. A temperature of about 146 F. is maintained in the die jacket. The rod may be extruded at the rate of about 11.2 feet per minute or about 39 pounds per hour.

Example II Polymethyl methacrylate molding powder is formed into rod 1" in diameter by heating the compound in a stufier and passing it through a filter held at approximately 400 F. and discharging it through a nozzle into a die which i 14 feet 6 inches in length. Lubricant is caused to flow through the die in the form of a film covering the die surface at the rate of 9 drops per minute under pressure of approximately 6000 pounds per square inch. The die temperature corresponds to that of a jacket temperature of approximately 160 F. at the inlet of the die. The rod may be extruded at the rate of 1 feet per minute, or 38% pounds per hour.

Example III Polystyrene molding powder is formed into rod inch in diameter 'by first heating it in a stufier and passing it through a filter held at 433 F. and discharging the highly heated plastic through a nozzle into a die which is 10 feet 3 inches in length. Lubricant is forced through the die in the form of a film covering its surface at the rate of 12 drops per minute under a pressure at the source of approximately 6000 pounds per square inch. The temperature of the die corresponds to that of a jacket temperature of 171 F. The rod may be so extruded at the rate of 10.4 feet per minute, or 33 pounds per hour. The rod thus produced from polystyrene molding compound has a dull surface.

Example IV Polystyrene molding compound is subjected to heat and pressure in a stuffer and passed through a filter held at approximately 433 F. and then discharged through a nozzle into a die 14 feet 6 inches long and formed into a rod 1 inch in diameter. The jacket temperature of .the die at the inlet end of the die may be 186 F. and the flow of lubricant through the die may be regulated to 11 drops per minute. The rod may be extruded at the rate of 1.7 feet per minute, or 38 pounds per hour.

In Examples I to IV above, a temperature gradient may be maintained in the die corresponding to a rise of about 10 F. in the jacket water from the inlet to the discharge end of the die, a substantial amount of heat (being transferred from the plastic into the jacket water so that the rod is cooled gradually and substantially hardened in the die.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction of the apparatus and in the mode "of performing the method of the invention without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In addition to rods, tubes and ribbons may be made and in making tubes, lubricant may be applied to either or both sides in the manner disclosed herein. It will be understood that in the shaping of thermosetting organic plastics, the temperature of the die is so controlled as to deliver heat to, ratherthan to remove heat from the plastic material in the die, although some cooling of such thermosetting plastic in the die may desirably be effected.

In the production of tubes, the lubricant may be introduced between the interior surface of the plastic material and the exterior of the mandrel over which the tube is formed. For this purpose a circular passage for lubricant is provided at the inner end of the mandrel, or at any other desired point thereon,

The condition of the plastic material or batch as supplied to the stufler may vary. In addition to molding powder, batches in more or less plastic condition, or even in semi-liquid or liquid condition, may be fed into the, stufi'er and formed into the desired shapes by the novel method of this invention.

Instead of producing bubble-free shapes, the invention may be employed to produce ornamental bubble or foam-containing shapes, such as rods, in which as or vapor bubbles are permitted; to form within an exterior shell of bubble-free or clear material. This may be done by increasing the rate at which the shape is extruded so that the effect of pressure and temperature change, such as cooling, is insufllcient to prevent the formation of gas bubbles inwardly of the clear outer layer.

Other changes and variations may be made in practicing the invention.

We claim as our invention:

1. Apparatus for shaping organic plastic material by extrusion which comprises a die, means for forcing plastic material into and through said die and means for counterbalancing the radial pressure components within the plastic material forced through the die which comprises a source of lubricant under high pressure, connections between said source and said die leading into the die rearwardly of the point where plastic material enters the die, said connections including a throttle for reducing the flow of lubricant from the high pressure source into the die to a minute volume per unit of area of the shape extruded from the die per unit of time, and a by-pass for connecting the source of high pressure lubricant directly to the die whereby the lubricant may be admitted into the die without passing through the said throttle.

2. Apparatus for shaping organic plastic material by extrusion which comprises a die, means for forcing plastic material into and through said die and means for counterbalancing the radial pressure components within the plastic material forced through the die which comprises a source of lubricant under high pressure, connections between said source and said die leading into the die rearwardly of the point where plastic material enters the die, said connections including a throttle for reducing the flow of lubricant from the high pressure source into the die to a minute volume per unit of area of th shape extruded from the die per unit or time, a by-pass for connecting the source of high pressure lubricant directly to the die whereby the lubricant may be admitted into the die without passing through the said throttle, and a filter between said throttle and source of high pressure lubricant for re moving impurities from the said lubricant and thus preventing contamination of the surface of the plastic shape extruded from the die.

3. Apparatusfor shaping organic plastic material by extrusion which comprises a die, means for forcing plastic material into and through said die, means for counterbalancing the radial pressure components within the plastic material forced through the die which comprises a. source of lubricant under high pressure, connections between said source and said die leading into the die rearwardly of the point where plastic material enters the die, said connections including a throttle for reducing the flow of lubricant from the high pressure source into the die to a. minute volume per unit of area of the shape extruded from the die per unit of time, a by-pass for connecting the source of high pressure lubricant directly to the die whereby the lubricant may be admitted into the die without passing through the said throttle, and a valve for shutting oil the flow of lubricant from the high pressure source thereof through both the throttle and the by-pass.

4. Apparatus for shaping organic plastic material by extrusion which comprises a die, means for forcing plastic material into and through said die and means for counterbalancing the radial pressure components within the plasticmaterial forced through the die which comprises a source pass, and a drain in the line between the main valve and the die.

5. Apparatus for shaping organic plastic material by extrusion which comprises a die, a nozzle projecting into the die, means for delivering organic plastic material under high pressure to the die, a valve for controlling the flow of plastic into said die, an accumulator for supof lubricant under high pressure, connections be-- I tween said source and said die leading into the die rearwardly of the point where plastic material enters the die, said connections including plying lubricant under high constant pressure to-the die, connections between the accumulator and the die leading into. the die at a point rearwardly oi the nozzle, said connections comprising a throttle for restricting the flow of lubricant from the accumulator into the die to a minute volume per unit of areaof shape extruded from the die per unit of time, the said throttle com prising a. needle 'slidable in a cylindrical bore included in the said connections, and means for adjusting the needle lengthwise of the bore to vary restriction of the flow of lubricant by the needle' -through the bore, whereby the flow of Y lubricant may be minutely regulated to a flow of thereof through both the throttle and the bythe order 01' 8 to 20 drops per minute under a pressure of the order of 6000 pounds per square inch, to prevent deformation of the plastic material in the die by the lubricant maintained in contact therewith through the said connections.

JAMES BAILEY. RAYMOND S. JESIONOWSKI. 

